Archives

Saturday 12 March 2011

A devastating tsunami triggered by the biggest earthquake on record in Japan has killed at least 350 people, but it's feared the final death toll will be much higher. The quake measured 8.9 on the Richter scale and the tsunami that reached land was 10 metres high in some places. A state of emergency has been declared at a nuclear power plant, where pressure has exceeded normal levels. More

Australian journalist Rachel Mealey is in Tokyo and describes the unsettling aftershocks that continued throughout the night. Many in Tokyo spent the night in their office buildings because the public transport system shut down. More

With airports closed, train lines down and heavy congestion it's hard for aid agencies in Japan and overseas to reach the worst-affected areas. The UN is sending a handful of search and rescue teams to help look for survivors and many countries have offered support. More

Moamar Gaddafi's forces continue to storm rebel-held towns in Libya. Benghazi in the north-east of the country was one of the first rebel strongholds, our correspondent Tim Palmer has just arrived there from Tunisia. More

European Union leaders have met in Brussels, unanimous in their view Gaddafi must go. But that's the only point they're united on. There's been little appetite for a no-fly zone agreement and France has been criticised for giving the Libyan rebels diplomatic recognition. More

Victorian doctors are investigating whether the rare mosquito-borne disease Murray Valley encephalitis caused the death of a Victorian man this week. Queensland authorities are more concerned about another mosquito-borne disease, dengue fever, but say it's possible Murray Valley encephalitis could break out in that state too. More

A controversial rehabilitation program for 'at-risk' teenagers in the Northern Territory is about to be expanded to New South Wales. The program treats destructive teenagers deemed too difficult to send to other services by pushing them to breaking point. The Brahminy Group based in the Northern Territory says it will be able to meet some of the growing demand for its services by establishing a new facility on a 127,000 acre property near Bourke in western New South Wales. More

In the wake of Japanís devastating tsunami, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Kevin Rudd, has addressed the media at Parliament House. He says Japan has asked Australia to send specialist search and rescue teams including sniffer dogs. More

From the Archives

Around 500 Indigenous people fought in the First World War, and as many as 5,000 in the second. But many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers who made it home received little or no recognition for their contribution. On Anzac Day, 2007, the first parade to commemorate their efforts and bravery was held in Sydney. Listen to our report from that day by Lindy Kerin.